U.S. patent application number 17/470194 was filed with the patent office on 2022-04-14 for electronic device, method, medium and apparatus for managing extender nodes.
The applicant listed for this patent is ARRIS Enterprises LLC. Invention is credited to Bo CHEN, Lidan CHEN, Ju Li, Ruilu ZENG, Yu ZHANG.
Application Number | 20220116868 17/470194 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | |
Filed Date | 2022-04-14 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20220116868 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
CHEN; Lidan ; et
al. |
April 14, 2022 |
ELECTRONIC DEVICE, METHOD, MEDIUM AND APPARATUS FOR MANAGING
EXTENDER NODES
Abstract
An electronic device for managing gateways comprises: a
processor; and a computer-readable storage medium which contains
executable instructions which, when executed by the processor,
causes the electronic device to: determine whether the current time
falls within the specified sleep time interval; in response to
determining that the current time falls within the specified sleep
time interval, determine whether the first extender node among one
or a plurality of extender nodes is in an idle connection state,
wherein the idle connection state includes: the first extender node
being not connected to any client, or the first extender node being
only connected to a sleeping client; and sending a sleep command to
the first extender node based at least in part on the idle
connection state of the first extender node, wherein the sleep
command instructs the first extender node to power off a wireless
network interface of the first extender node.
Inventors: |
CHEN; Lidan; (Shenzhen,
CN) ; ZENG; Ruilu; (Shenzhen, CN) ; Li;
Ju; (Shenzhen, CN) ; CHEN; Bo; (Shenzhen,
CN) ; ZHANG; Yu; (Shenzhen, CN) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
ARRIS Enterprises LLC |
Suwanee |
GA |
US |
|
|
Appl. No.: |
17/470194 |
Filed: |
September 9, 2021 |
International
Class: |
H04W 52/02 20060101
H04W052/02; H04W 16/26 20060101 H04W016/26 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Oct 9, 2020 |
CN |
202011073044.9 |
Claims
1. An electronic device that provides a wireless communication
network to clients via one or a plurality of extender nodes in a
network, wherein the electronic device comprises: a processor, and
a computer readable storage medium containing executable
instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the
electronic device to be configured to: determine whether the
current time falls within the specified sleep time interval; in
response to determining that the current time falls within the
specified sleep time interval, determine whether the first extender
node among the one or a plurality of extender nodes are in an idle
connection state, wherein the idle connection state includes: (i)
the first extender node being not connected to any client, or (ii)
the first extender node being only connected to the sleeping
client; and based at least in part on the idle connection state of
the first extender node, sending a sleep command to the first
extender node, wherein the sleep command instructs the first
extender node to power off a wireless network interface for the
wireless communication network of the first extender node.
2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the
electronic device is configured to: identify a client as a sleeping
client in response to determining that the traffic of the client
within a specified time length is lower than a predetermined
threshold.
3. The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein the
electronic device is configured to: identify the type of the
client; and determine at least one of the predetermined threshold
and the specified time length for the client based on the
identified type.
4. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the
electronic device is connected to the first extender node through a
wired link, and the electronic device is further configured to: in
response to the expiration of the specified sleep time interval,
send a wake-up command to the first extender node through the wired
link to wake up the first extender node.
5. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the
electronic device is connected to the first extender node through a
wireless link, and the sleep command sent by the electronic device
further instructs the first extender node to start a timer so that
the first extender node wakes up autonomously when the timer
expires.
6. The electronic device according to claim 5, wherein waking-up
includes restoring the wireless link between the first extender
node and the electronic device based on the wireless link
information saved by the first extender node.
7. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the first
extender node is configured to autonomously wake up in response to
a user's physical operation on the first extender node.
8. The electronic device according to any of claims 4 to 7, wherein
waking up the first extender node includes powering on the wireless
network interface of the first extender node again.
9. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the
electronic device is further configured to: transmit a sleep
command to each of the one or a plurality of extender nodes in
response to determining that the electronic device is about to
enter a sleep state.
10. A method for managing one or a plurality of extender nodes in a
network, wherein the electronic device of the network provides a
wireless communication network to clients via the one or a
plurality of extender nodes, the method comprising: determining
whether the current time falls within the specified sleep time
interval; in response to determining that the current time falls
within the specified sleep time interval, determining whether the
first extender node among the one or a plurality of extender nodes
are in an idle connection state, wherein the idle connection state
includes: (i) the first extender node being not connected to any
client, or (ii) the first extender node being only connected to the
sleeping client; and in response to determining that the first
extender node is in the idle connection state, sending, by the
electronic device, a sleep command to the first extender node,
instructing the first extender node to power off a wireless network
interface for the wireless communication network of the first
extender node.
11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:
identifying a client as a sleeping client in response to
determining that the traffic of the client within a specified time
length is lower than a predetermined threshold.
12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:
identifying the type of the client; and determining at least one of
the predetermined threshold and the specified time length for the
client based on the type of the client.
13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the electronic device
is connected to the first extender node through a wired link, and
the method further comprises: in response to the expiration of the
specified sleep time interval, sending, by the electronic device, a
wake-up command to the first extender node through the wired link
to wake up the first extender node.
14. The method according to claim 10, wherein the electronic device
is connected to the first extender node through a wireless link,
and the sleep command sent by the electronic device further
instructs the first extender node to start a timer so that the
first extender node wakes up autonomously when the timer
expires.
15. The method according to claim 14, wherein waking-up includes
restoring the wireless link between the first extender node and the
electronic device based on the wireless link information saved by
the first extender node.
16. The method according to claim 10, wherein the first extender
node wakes up autonomously in response to a user's physical
operation on the first extender node.
17. (canceled)
18. The method according to claim 10, wherein the method further
comprises: in response to determining that the electronic device is
about to enter a sleep state, sending, by the electronic device, a
sleep command to each of the one or a plurality of extender
nodes.
19. (canceled)
20. (canceled)
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present disclosure relates to managing extender nodes in
networks, and particularly relates to an electronic device, a
method, a medium and an apparatus for managing extender nodes.
BACKGROUND ART
[0002] In the existing wireless communication network, the clients
used by the users can connect to the wireless access points in the
wireless communication network through wireless links. However, the
coverage of the main access point of a wireless communication
network is usually limited. One or a plurality of extender nodes
can be used to expand the coverage of the main access point. Each
extender node may be arranged in a corresponding area far from the
main access point and connected to the main access point. The
extender node can act as a wireless access point in the
corresponding area, thereby providing the wireless communication
network for clients far away from the main access point. A wireless
network interface of extender node usually keeps uninterrupted
power-on state. Therefore, wireless communication networks with a
plurality of extender nodes usually consume more power.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The present disclosure relates to managing extender nodes in
a wireless communication network. Specifically, the present
disclosure aims to reduce the power consumption of the extender
nodes without significantly affecting the performance of the
network.
[0004] Some aspects of the present disclosure involve an electronic
device that provides a wireless communication network to clients
via one or a plurality of extender nodes in a network, wherein the
electronic device includes a processor and a computer-readable
storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium contains
executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause
the electronic device to be configured to: determine whether the
current time falls within the specified sleep time interval; in
response to determining that the current time falls within the
specified sleep time interval, determine whether the first extender
node among the one or a plurality of extender nodes is in an idle
connection state, wherein the idle connection state includes: (i)
the first extender node being not connected to any client, or (ii)
the first extender node being only connected to sleeping clients;
and sending a sleep command to the first extender node based, at
least in part, on the idle connection state of the first extender
node, wherein the sleep command instructs the first extender node
to power off a wireless network interface for the wireless
communication network of the first extender node.
[0005] In some embodiments, the electronic device is configured to:
identify a client as a sleeping client in response to determining
that the traffic of the client within a specified time length is
lower than a predetermined threshold.
[0006] In some embodiments, the electronic device is configured to:
identify the type of the client; and determine at least one of the
predetermined threshold and the specified time length for the
client based on the identified type.
[0007] In some embodiments, the electronic device is connected to
the first extender node through a wired link, wherein the
electronic device is further configured to: in response to the
expiration of the specified sleep time interval, send a wake-up
command to the first extender node through the wired link to wake
up the first extender node.
[0008] In some embodiments, the electronic device is connected to
the first extender node through a wireless link, wherein the sleep
command sent by the electronic device further instructs the first
extender node to start a timer so that the first extender node
wakes up autonomously when the timer expires.
[0009] In some embodiments, the wake-up includes restoring the
wireless link between the first extender node and the electronic
device based on the wireless link information saved by the first
extender node.
[0010] In some embodiments, the first extender node is configured
to wake up autonomously in response to a user's physical operation
on the first extender node.
[0011] In some embodiments, the wake-up of the first extender node
includes powering on the wireless network interface of the first
extender node again.
[0012] In some embodiments, the electronic device is further
configured to: transmit a sleep command to each of the one or a
plurality of extender nodes in response to determining that the
electronic device is about to enter a sleep state.
[0013] Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a method
for managing one or a plurality of extender nodes in a network,
wherein the electronic device of the network provide a wireless
communication network to clients via the one or a plurality of
extender nodes, and the method comprises: determining whether the
current time falls within the specified sleep time interval; in
response to determining that the current time falls within the
specified sleep time interval, determining whether the first
extender node among the one or a plurality of extender nodes is in
an idle connection state, wherein the idle connection state
includes: (i) the first extender node being not connected to any
client, or (ii) the first extender node being only connected to
sleeping clients; and in response to determining that the first
extender node is in the idle connection state, sending a sleep
command to the first extender node, wherein the sleep command
instructs the first extender node to power off the wireless network
interface for the wireless communication network of the first
extender node.
[0014] Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a
computer-readable storage medium containing executable instructions
that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform
any of the methods described in the present disclosure.
[0015] Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to an
apparatus comprising components for performing any of the methods
described in the present disclosure.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] For a better understanding of the present disclosure and to
show how to implement the present disclosure, examples will be
herein described with reference to the Attached Drawings,
wherein:
[0017] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary block diagram of a network system
according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0018] FIG. 2 shows an exemplary block diagram of an electronic
device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0019] FIG. 3 shows an exemplary block diagram of a router
according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0020] FIG. 4 shows an exemplary flowchart of the method of making
an extender node sleep according to the present disclosure.
[0021] FIG. 5 shows an exemplary flowchart of the method of making
the extender node wake up according to the present disclosure.
[0022] It should be noted that throughout the drawings, similar
reference numerals and signs refer to corresponding parts. In
addition, multiple instances of the same part are designated by a
common prefix separated from the instance number by a dash.
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0023] The following detailed description is made with reference to
the Attached Drawings, and the following detailed description is
provided to facilitate comprehensive understanding of various
exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. The following
description includes various details for facilitation of
understanding. However, these details are merely considered as
examples, not for limiting the present disclosure. The present
disclosure is limited by the attached claims and their equivalents.
The words and phrases used in the following description are only
used to enable a clear and consistent understanding of the present
disclosure. In addition, for clarity and brevity, descriptions of
well-known structures, functions, and configurations may be
omitted. Those of ordinary skill in the art will realize that
various changes and modifications can be made to the examples
described in the present specification without departing from the
gist and scope of the present disclosure.
[0024] As described above, in order to provide a wireless
communication network to clients, the wireless network interface of
the extender node in the wireless communication network is always
powered on uninterruptedly. Therefore, wireless communication
networks with a plurality of extender nodes usually consume more
power. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the
main access point can be used to monitor the status of each
extender node and instruct the extender node to power off its
wireless network interface when it satisfies the sleep condition,
thereby reducing power consumption. In addition, the sleeping
extender node may wake up in response to the wake-up condition.
Sleep and wake-up of extender nodes can be automatically executed
without being perceived by users, so it will not significantly
affect the performance of the network.
[0025] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary block diagram of a network system
100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in which
various technologies according to an embodiment of the present
disclosure is implemented. The network system 100 may be
implemented as a home network, an office network, a factory
network, or any other type of network.
[0026] As shown in FIG. 1, the network system 100 may include an
electronic device 110, one or a plurality of extender nodes 120,
and one or a plurality of clients 130. The electronic device 110
may connect the network system 100 to the external network 600. The
extender node 120-1 can be connected to the electronic device 110
and connected to the clients 130-1 and 130-2. The extender node
120-2 can be connected to the electronic device 110 and connected
to the clients 130-3 and 130-4. Additionally, the client 130-5 may
be directly connected to the electronic device 110. The clients
130-1 to 130-5 can exchange data with the external network 600
through the network system 100 to obtain various services.
[0027] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the
electronic device 110 may act as or operate with the main access
point of the network system 100. The main access point may be
various types of electronic devices capable of transmitting
communication between the network system 100 and the external
network 600. In other words, each device in the network system 100
can access the external network 600 through the electronic device
110. The external network 600 may include various types of
networks, such as a wide area network (WAN), a local area network
(LAN), a wireless network, a mobile network, an optical fiber, the
internet, and the like. Note that the present disclosure does not
specifically limit the type of the external network 600. The
electronic device 110 can be implemented as, e.g., an access point,
a gateway (such as Touchstone.RTM. TG3452 gateway), a router (such
as a wireless router and a mobile hotspot router), and a home
network controller, or as a part of them.
[0028] The electronic device 110 may have one or a plurality of
wireless network interface (not shown), such as one or a plurality
of Wi-Fi interfaces. These wireless network interfaces allow
wireless links to be established between other devices in the
network system 100 (e.g., the extender node 120 and/or the client
130) and the electronic device 110. Additionally or alternatively,
the electronic device 110 may also have a wired interface (e.g., an
Ethernet interface, not shown), thereby allowing a wired link to be
established between other devices (e.g., the extender node 120) in
the network system 100 and the electronic device 110.
[0029] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the
electronic device 110 may be connected to one or a plurality of
extender nodes 120. The extender node 120 can be used to expand the
coverage of the wireless communication network provided by the
electronic device 110. Each extender node 120 may be arranged in a
corresponding area away from the electronic device 110 and serve as
a wireless access point in the corresponding area. The extender
node 120 can bridge the client 130 and the electronic device 110.
In other words, the extender node 120 can act as a relay between
the client 130 and the electronic device 110. Accordingly, the
client 130 can be connected to the extender node 120 and use the
wireless communication network provided by the extender node 120 as
if the client 130 were connected to the electronic device 110.
[0030] Each extender node 120 may have a one or a plurality of
wireless network interface (not shown), such as one or a plurality
of Wi-Fi interfaces. These wireless network interfaces allow
wireless links to be established between other devices (e.g., the
electronic device 110 and/or the client 130) in the network system
100 and the extender node 120. Additionally, the extender node 120
may also have a wired interface (e.g., an Ethernet interface, not
shown), thereby allowing a wired link to be established between
other devices (e.g., the electronic device 110) in the network
system 100 and the extender node 120.
[0031] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the
link between the electronic device 110 and the extender node 120
may be a wired link or a wireless link. As an example of a wired
link, the extender node 120 may be connected to the electronic
device 110 through an Ethernet backhaul or a MoCA (Multimedia over
Coax Alliance) backhaul. As an example of a wireless link, the
extender node 120 may be connected to the electronic device 110
through a Wi-Fi backhaul. Compared with wired links, wireless links
have higher flexibility. However, the wireless link depends on the
wireless network interface of the extender node 120 to work
normally. If the wireless network interface of the extender node
120 is powered off, the wireless link between the extender node 120
and the electronic device 110 will be interrupted.
[0032] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the
extender node 120 may be implemented as various types of electronic
devices. For example, an electronic device (e.g., a router) similar
to the electronic device 110 may be utilized as the extender node
120. In this case, the extender node 120 is different from the
electronic device 110 in that the electronic device 110 is
configured to act as a primary access point connecting the network
system 100 with the external network 600, while the extender node
120 is configured to act as a secondary access point inside the
network system 100. Alternatively, the extender node 120 may be
implemented with a simpler device than the electronic device 110.
For example, the extender node 120 may not have an interface
adapted to the external network 600, but only retain an interface
adapted to the electronic device 110 and the client 130. The
extender node 120 as a secondary access point is not responsible
for functions associated with the primary access point, such as IP
allocation, maintaining network topology information, managing and
monitoring the extender nodes, and so on.
[0033] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, each
client 130 can be connected to the extender node 120 or the
electronic device 110 through a wireless link, so that various
services provided by the network operator through the external
network 600 can be accessed. These services include but are not
limited to data services, telephone or voice services, and
multimedia services. The client 130 may be disconnected from the
extender node 120 or the electronic device 110 and connected to
another extender node 120. The client 130 can be various types of
devices, including but not limited to personal computers, smart
phones, tablet computing devices, wearable devices, smart home
devices, smart office devices, smart production devices, and so
on.
[0034] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the
wireless communication network provided by the electronic device
110 along with the extender nodes 120 could be a wireless
communication network that supports any of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth,
Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), RF4CE, ZigBee, Z-Wave, IEEE 802.15.4,
MQTT (Message Queue Telemetry Transport), DDS (Data Distribution
Service), AMQP (Advanced Message Queuing Protocol), or other short
range protocols. Also, the wireless links between the electronic
device 110, the extender node 120 and/or the client 130 may be of a
respective type that corresponds to the wireless communication
network. The wireless network interface of any of the electronic
device 110, the extender node 120 and/or the client 130 may be a
wireless network interface that is used for the wireless link of
the respective type.
[0035] It should be noted that the number of each element shown in
FIG. 1 is only schematic. According to other embodiments of the
present disclosure, the network system 100 may include more or
fewer elements without limitation. For example, the network system
100 may include more extender nodes 120. Each extender node 120 can
be connected to more or fewer clients 130. Some extender nodes 120
may not be connected to any clients 130.
[0036] FIG. 2 shows an exemplary block diagram of an electronic
device 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
The electronic device 200 can be used as the electronic device 110
or the extender node 120 described in FIG. 1.
[0037] As shown in FIG. 2, the electronic device 200 includes a
processing subsystem 210, a memory subsystem 212, and a networking
subsystem 214. The processing subsystem 210 comprises one or a
plurality of devices configured to perform computing operations.
The processing subsystem 210 performs any of the methods described
in the present disclosure. For example, the processing subsystem
210 may comprise one or a plurality of microprocessors, ASICs,
microcontrollers, programmable logic devices, graphic processing
units (GPU), and/or one or a plurality of digital signal processors
(DSP).
[0038] The memory subsystem 212 comprises one or a plurality of
devices for storing data and/or instructions used for the
processing subsystem 210 and the networking subsystem 214. For
example, the memory subsystem 212 may include a dynamic random
access memory (DRAM), a static random access memory (SRAM), and/or
other types of memory (sometimes collectively or individually
referred to as "computer-readable storage medium"). In some
embodiments, the instructions used in the memory subsystem 212 of
the processing subsystem 210 comprise: one or a plurality of
program modules or sets of instructions (such as program
instructions 222 or operating system 224), which can be executed by
the processing subsystem 210 to implement various operations
described in the present disclosure. It should be noted that one or
a plurality of computer programs may constitute a computer program
mechanism. In addition, an instruction in the various modules of
the memory subsystem 212 may be implemented by the following:
advanced programming languages, object-oriented programming
languages and/or assembly or machine languages. Moreover, the
programming language may be compiled or interpreted, e.g.,
configurable or configured (used interchangeably in this
discussion), to be executed by the processing subsystem 210.
[0039] In addition, the memory subsystem 212 may comprise mechanism
for controlling access to memory. In some embodiments, the memory
subsystem 212 includes a memory hierarchy, and the memory hierarchy
includes one or a plurality of caches coupled to the memory in the
electronic device 200. In some of these embodiments, one or a
plurality of the caches are located in the processing subsystem
210.
[0040] In some embodiments, the memory subsystem 212 is coupled to
one or a plurality of high-capacity mass storage devices (not
shown). For example, the memory subsystem 212 may be coupled to a
magnetic or optical driver, a solid state driver, or another type
of mass storage device. In these embodiments, the electronic device
200 may use the memory subsystem 212 as a fast-access storage of
frequently used data, whereas the mass storage device is used for
storing infrequently used data.
[0041] The networking subsystem 214 comprises one or a plurality of
devices configured to be coupled to a wired and/or wireless network
and to communicate over the wired and/or wireless network (i.e., to
perform network operations), including: control logic 216, an
interface circuit 218, and one or a plurality of antennas 220 (or
antenna elements). Although FIG. 2 includes one or a plurality of
antennas 220, in some embodiments, the electronic device 200
includes one or a plurality of nodes, such as the node 208, which
may be coupled to the one or a plurality of antennas 220.
Therefore, the electronic device 200 may include or not include one
or a plurality of antennas 220. For example, the networking
subsystem 214 may include a networking system based on Wi-Fi,
Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), RF4CE, ZigBee, Z-Wave, IEEE
802.15.4, MQTT (Message Queue Telemetry Transport), DDS (Data
Distribution Service), AMQP (Advanced Message Queuing Protocol), or
other short range protocols. Accordingly, the networking subsystem
214 may include a respective wireless network interface.
Additionally, the networking subsystem 214 may also include an
Ethernet networking system, a cellular networking system (e.g.,
3G/4G/2G networks such as UMTS and LTE), a USB networking system,
and/or another networking system.
[0042] In some embodiments, the pattern shaper (such as a
reflector) in one or a plurality of antennas 220 (or antenna
elements) is used to adapt or change the transmission antenna
radiation pattern of the electronic device 200, and the one or the
plurality of antennas 220 are independently and selectively
electrically coupled to the ground to guide the transmission
antenna radiation pattern in different directions. Therefore, if
one or a plurality of antennas 220 include N of antenna radiation
pattern shapers, the one or a plurality of antenna 220 may have 2N
of different antenna radiation pattern configurations. More
generally, a given antenna radiation pattern includes the amplitude
and/or phase of a signal specifying the main lobe or the direction
of the main lobe of the given antenna radiation pattern, and a
so-called "exclusion zone" (sometimes called "notch" or "null
value"). Note that the exclusion zone of the given antenna
radiation pattern includes a low-intensity region of the given
antenna radiation pattern. Although the intensity is not
necessarily zero in the exclusion zone, the intensity may be below
a threshold such as 4 dB or lower than the peak gain of the given
antenna radiation pattern. Therefore, a given antenna radiation
pattern may include a local maximum value (e.g., main beam) that
points the maximum value to the gain in the direction of the
electronic device of interest, and one or a plurality of local
minimum values that reduce the gain in the direction of other
electronic devices of no-interest. In this way, a given antenna
radiation pattern can be selected so that undesirable
communication, such as communication with other electronic devices,
can be avoided so as to reduce or eliminate adverse effects, such
as interference or crosstalk.
[0043] The networking subsystem 214 includes a processor,
controller, radio device/antenna, socket/plug and/or other devices
for coupling to each supported network system, communicating on
each supported network system, and processing the data and events
for each supported network system. Please note that sometimes the
network for coupling to each network system, and the mechanisms
used to communicate on that network, and process data and events on
that network are collectively referred to as the "network
interface" of the network system. For example, the networking
subsystem 214 may include one or a plurality of wireless network
interface, such as one or a plurality of Wi-Fi interfaces, for
establishing and maintaining wireless links with other devices.
Furthermore, in some embodiments, the "network" or "connection"
between electronic devices does not yet exist. Therefore, the
electronic device 200 can use the mechanism in the networking
subsystem 214 to perform simple wireless communication between
electronic devices, e.g., sending frames and/or scanning frames
sent by other electronic devices.
[0044] In the electronic device 200, a bus 228 is used to couple
the processing subsystem 210, the memory subsystem 212, and the
networking subsystem 214 together. Bus 228 may comprise electro,
optic and/or electro-optic connections where subsystems can be used
to communicate commands and data, and so on. Although only one bus
228 is shown for clarity, different embodiments may comprise
different numbers or configurations of electrical, optical, and/or
electro-optical connections in the subsystems.
[0045] In some embodiments, the electronic device 200 includes a
display subsystem 226 for showing information on a display device,
which may include a display driver and a display, e.g., a liquid
crystal display, a multi-touch screen, etc.
[0046] Although specific components are used to describe the
electronic device 200, in an alternative embodiment, there may be
different components and/or subsystems in the electronic device
200. For example, the electronic device 200 may include one or a
plurality of additional processing subsystems, memory subsystems,
networking subsystems, and/or display subsystems. In addition, one
or a plurality of the subsystems may not exist in the electronic
device 200. Moreover, in some embodiments, the electronic device
200 may include one or a plurality of additional subsystems not
shown in FIG. 2. In addition, although separate subsystems are
shown in FIG. 2, in some embodiments, some or all of the given
subsystems or components may be integrated into one or a plurality
of the other subsystems or components in the electronic device 200.
For example, in some embodiments, the program instruction 222 is
comprised in the operating system 224, and/or the control logic 216
is comprised in the interface circuit 218.
[0047] Moreover, any combination of analog and/or digital circuits
may be used to implement the circuits and components in the
electronic device 200, including: bipolar, PMOS and/or NMOS gates
or transistors. In addition, the signals in these embodiments may
include digital signals with approximate discrete values and/or
analog signals with continuous values. In addition, the components
and circuits may be single-ended or differential, and power
supplies may be unipolar or bipolar.
[0048] An integrated circuit (sometimes referred to as a
"communication circuit" or "device for communication") can
implement some or all of the functions of the networking subsystem
214. The integrated circuit may include hardware and/or software
mechanisms, and is used to transmit wireless signals from the
electronic device 200 and receive signals at the electronic device
200 from other electronic devices. In addition to the mechanisms
described herein, radio devices are generally known in the art, and
therefore will not be elaborated. Generally, the networking
subsystem 214 and/or the integrated circuit may include any number
of radio devices. Note that the radio devices in the multiple
radios embodiment function in a similar manner to the single radio
embodiment described.
[0049] In some embodiments, the networking subsystem 214 and/or the
integrated circuit includes a configuration mechanism (such as one
or a plurality of hardware and/or software mechanisms) that
configures the radio to perform transmission and/or reception on a
given communication channel (e.g., a given carrier frequency). For
example, in some embodiments, the configuration mechanism may be
used to switch the radio from monitoring and/or transmitting on a
given communication channel to monitoring and/or transmitting on a
different communication channel. Please note that "monitoring" as
used herein includes receiving signals from other electronic
devices and possibly performing one or a plurality of processing
operations on the received signals.
[0050] Although the foregoing discussion uses Wi-Fi and/or Ethernet
communication protocols as illustrative examples, in other
embodiments, various communication protocols may additionally be
used. Therefore, communication technologies can be used in various
network interfaces. In addition, although some operations in the
aforementioned embodiments are implemented by hardware or software,
in general, the operations in the aforementioned embodiments may be
implemented in various configurations and frameworks. Therefore,
some or all of the operations in the aforementioned embodiments may
be executed by hardware, software, or both. For example, at least
some operations in the communication technology can be implemented
using the program instruction 222, the operating system 224 (e.g.,
a driver for the interface circuit 218), or firmware in the
interface circuit 218. Alternatively or in addition, at least some
operations in the communication technology may be implemented at
physical layer, e.g., hardware in the interface circuit 218.
[0051] FIG. 3 shows an exemplary block diagram of a router 300
according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The router
300 may be a further exemplary embodiment of the electronic device
110 and the extender node 120 described in FIG. 1.
[0052] Although referred to herein as a router, the router 300 can
be, e.g., a hardware electronic device capable of combining
functions of a modem, an access point, and/or a router. It is also
conceivable that the router 300 may include, but is not limited to,
the functions of an IP/QAM set-top box (STB) or a smart media
device (SMD), which can decode audio/video content and play the
content provided by OTT or MSO.
[0053] As shown in FIG. 3, the router 300 includes a user interface
320, a network interface 321, a power supply 322, a WAN interface
323, a memory 324 and a controller 326. The user interface 320
includes, but is not limited to, buttons, keyboards, keypads, LCD,
CRT, TFT, LED, HD, or other similar display devices, including
display devices with touch screen capability to enable interaction
between users and gateway devices. The network interface 321 may
include various network cards and circuitries implemented in
software and/or hardware, so as to be able to communicate with
wireless expander devices and clients using wireless protocols,
such as IEEE 802.11 Wi-Fi protocol.
[0054] The power supply 322 supplies power to the internal
components of the router 300 through the internal bus 327. The
power supply 322 may be self-contained power supply, e.g., a
battery pack; its interface is charged by a charger connected
(e.g., directly or via another device) to a socket. The power
source 322 may further include a rechargeable battery that is
detachable for replacement, e.g., NiCd, NiMH, Li-ion, or Li-pol
battery. The WAN interface 323 may include various network cards
and circuitries implemented in software and/or hardware.
Specifically, the WAN interface 323 may at least include one or a
plurality of wireless network interface (not shown), such as one or
a plurality of Wi-Fi interfaces. The power supply 322 may be
controlled to individually power off and power on the wireless
network interface. When the wireless network interface is powered
on, the router 300 may establish and/or maintain a wireless link
with other devices. When the wireless network interface is powered
off, the router 300 cannot establish a wireless link with other
devices, and the existing wireless link will be interrupted.
[0055] The memory unit 324 comprises a single memory unit or one or
a plurality of memory units or memory positions, including but not
limited to the random access memory (RAM), dynamic random access
memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), read only memory
(ROM), EPROM, EEPROM, flash memory, FPGA logic block, hard drive,
or any other layers of a memory hierarchy. The memory 324 may be
used to store any type of instructions, software or algorithms,
including software 325 for controlling the general functions and
operations of the router 300.
[0056] The controller 326 controls the general operation of the
router 300 and performs management functions related to other
devices in the network (such as expanders and clients). The
controller 326 may include, but is not limited to, a CPU, a
hardware microprocessor, a hardware processor, a multi-core
processor, a single-core processor, a microcontroller, an
application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a DSP or other
similar processing device, and any type of instructions, algorithms
or software capable of performing operations and functions
according to embodiments described in the present disclosure. The
controller 326 can be of various types of implementations of
digital circuit systems, analog circuit systems, or mixed signal (a
combination of analog and digital signals) circuit systems
executing functions in a computer system. The controller 326 may
comprise, e.g., an integrated circuit (IC), a portion or circuit of
a separate processor core, an entire processor core, a separate
processor, a programmable hardware device, such as a field
programmable gate array (FPGA), and/or a system comprising a
plurality of processors.
[0057] The internal bus 327 is used to establish communication
between components (such as 320-322, 324 and 326) of the router
300.
[0058] It should be noted that although the exemplary embodiments
of both the electronic device 110 and the extender node 120 of FIG.
1 have been described above in conjunction with the electronic
device 200 and the router 300, this does not mean that the
electronic device 110 and the extender node 120 will necessarily be
implemented as the same device. It should be understood that both
the electronic device 110 and the extender node 120 can adopt the
exemplary architecture of the electronic device 200 or the router
300, and are configured as devices different from each other.
[0059] FIG. 4 shows an exemplary flowchart of a method 400 for
making an extender node sleep according to the present disclosure.
The method 400 will be described below in connection with the
network system 100 of FIG. 1. The method 400 may be performed by
the electronic device 110 in the network system 100. Moreover, the
extender node described in FIG. 4 may be the extender node 120 in
the network system 100.
[0060] The method 400 may start from step 410. In step 410, it may
be determined whether the current time falls within a specified
sleep time interval. The designated sleep time interval may be a
time interval associated with a low traffic period of the extender
node 120. In the specified sleep time interval, the extender node
120 may be connected to fewer clients 130 and/or only need to
transmit less traffic.
[0061] In response to determining that the current time falls
within the specified sleep time interval, the method 400 may
continue to step 420. In step 420, the electronic device 110 may
determine whether the extender node 120 is in an idle connection
state. The idle connection state may include the extender node 120
being not connected to any client 130, or the extender node 120
being only connected to a sleeping client. The extender node 120 in
the idle connection state generally does not need to transmit
traffic to the clients, or only needs to transmit a very small
amount of traffic to the clients.
[0062] In response to determining that the extender node 120 is in
an idle connection state, the method 400 may continue to step 430.
In step 430, the electronic device 110 may send a sleep command to
the extender node 120, instructing the extender node 120 to power
off the wireless network interface of the extender node. When the
wireless network interface is powered off, the extender node 120
will enter a sleep state with low power consumption, thus keeping
low power consumption. A wireless network interface being power-off
herein may mean turning off the front haul wireless interface but
leaving the back haul wireless interface on. Preferably, a wireless
network interface being power-off herein may mean that no power is
supplied to the wireless network interface of the extender node
120, so that it is completely turned off. Compared with other
energy-saving methods that only reduce the signaling overhead on
the wireless link without disconnecting the wireless link, powering
off the wireless network interface will achieve the greatest power
saving.
[0063] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the
electronic device 110 can obtain the current time in various ways.
For example, the electronic device 110 may maintain a local clock
and read the current time from the local clock. Additionally or
alternatively, the electronic device 110 may receive an indication
about the current time from the external network 600.
[0064] According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, the
sleep time interval can be specified for the extender node 120 in
various ways. In one example, the sleep time interval may be a
default time interval designated by the manufacturer of the
electronic device 110 or the extender node 120, e.g., 00:00-06:00
every day. In another example, the sleep time interval may be
specified by the user of the network system 100. In another
example, the electronic device 110 may specify a different sleep
time interval for each extender node 120. For example, different
production equipment sharing a factory network may have different
production shifts, so different sleep time intervals can be
specified for different extender nodes 120 serving production
equipment with different shifts. The electronic device 110 can
identify the low traffic period of each extender node 120 by
analyzing the historical traffic data thereof, and specify the
sleep time interval of the extender node 120 based on the
identified low traffic period. The electronic device 110 can
dynamically update the sleep time interval designated for each
extender node 120 and push the new sleep time interval to the
clients 130 of each extender node 120.
[0065] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the
electronic device 110 may determine whether an extender node 120 is
in an idle connection state based on the topology information of
the network system 100. For example, the electronic device 110 can
maintain the topology information of the network system 100. The
topology information may include information associated with one or
a plurality of extender nodes 120 connected to the electronic
device 110, and may include information associated with one or a
plurality of clients 130 connected to each extender node 120. For
example, the electronic device 110 may maintain a client table. The
client table may indicate an extender node 120 (e.g., extender node
120-1) to which a specific client (e.g., client 130-1) is
connected, connection establishment time, connection disconnection
time, IP address used, traffic data analysis, and so on. The
electronic device 110 can update the topology information of the
network system 100 by polling each extender node 120.
[0066] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the
electronic device 110 may determine whether the extender node 120
is not connected to any client 130 based on the topology
information (e.g., client table) of the network system 100. For
example, the electronic device 110 may determine the number of
clients 130 connected to a specific extender node 120 (e.g., the
extender node 120-1) based on the client table. In response to
determining that the number of clients 130 connected to the
specific extender node 120 is zero, it can be determined that the
extender node 120 is in an idle connection state.
[0067] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, if the
extender node 120 is connected to one or a plurality of clients
130, the electronic device 110 can identify whether each client 130
of the one or a plurality of clients is a sleeping client. If all
clients connected to the extender node 120 are sleeping clients, it
can be determined that the extender node 120 is in an idle
connection state. Otherwise, it can be determined that the extender
node 120 is not in the idle connection state.
[0068] According to the embodiment of the present disclosure, it
can be identified whether the client is a sleeping client based on
the traffic pattern of each client. For example, if the traffic of
a client within a specified length of time is lower than a
predetermined threshold, the client can be identified as a sleeping
client. Although the sleeping client may still have a small amount
of traffic, it is likely that such traffic is unimportant
background traffic, so it can be discarded. "Traffic below the
predetermined threshold" may include the flow rate being lower than
the predetermined rate threshold within a specified time length,
and/or the total net flow within a specified time length being
lower than the predetermined flow threshold.
[0069] In the above embodiments, the electronic device 110 may set
different specified time lengths and/or predetermined thresholds
for different types of clients 130. Specifically, the electronic
device 110 may identify the type of the client 130 connected to the
extender node 120, and determine at least one of a predetermined
threshold and a specified time length for the client based on the
identified type. Since different types of clients 130 generally
have different traffic patterns, it is advantageous to adaptively
set a specified length of time and/or a traffic threshold for each
client. For example, for a streaming media device (such as a smart
TV), a larger predetermined threshold value and/or a smaller
specified time length can be set. For a text reader device (e.g.,
an electronic reader), a smaller predetermined threshold value
and/or a longer specified time length can be set. For security
monitoring devices (such as surveillance cameras and security
sensors), the predetermined threshold can be set to zero, which
means that these security monitoring devices will never be
considered as sleeping clients. In this case, the wireless network
interface of the extender node 120 serving the security monitoring
devices will not be powered off, which ensures that the security
monitoring devices can access the wireless communication network
continuously and stably through the extender node 120.
[0070] According to an optional embodiment of the present
disclosure, if a specific key client is not connected to the
extender node 120, the extender node 120 may be considered to be in
an idle connection state, and thus enter a sleep state.
Specifically, one or a plurality of specific clients (e.g., smart
phones of users and controllers of smart home systems) can be
identified as key clients of the network system 100. If the
electronic device 110 recognizes that the extender node 120 is not
connected to any of the specific one or a plurality of clients, it
can determine that the extender node 120 is in an idle connection
state and send a sleep command to it. Accordingly, the extender
node will no longer provide the wireless communication network.
This setting is advantageous in some scenarios. For example, some
scenarios require access to key clients to maintain network
security.
[0071] According to an optional embodiment of the present
disclosure, the electronic device 110 may also enter a sleep state.
The electronic device 110 can execute its own sleep policy. In
response to determining that the electronic device 110 is about to
enter a sleep state, the electronic device 110 may send a sleep
command to each extender node 120 in the network system 100.
[0072] FIG. 5 shows an exemplary flowchart of a method 500 for
waking up an extender node according to the present disclosure. The
method 500 will be described below in connection with the network
system 100 of FIG. 1. The method 500 may be performed by the
electronic device 110 and the extender node 120 in the network
system 100, e.g.
[0073] The method 500 may start from step 510. In step 510, for the
sleeping extender node 120, it may be determined whether the
wake-up condition is satisfied. According to embodiments of the
present disclosure, various wake-up conditions can be set,
including but not limited to: (i) when the specified sleep interval
expires;(ii) when the timer set by the extender node 120 expires;
or (iii) when the user has conducted any physical operation on the
extender node 120. In response to any one of the wake-up conditions
being met, the method 500 may continue to step 520. In step 520,
the sleeping extender node 120 may be awakened.
[0074] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when
the extender node 120 is connected to the electronic device 110
through a wired link (e.g., Ethernet backhaul and MoCA backhaul),
the wired link will not be interrupted due to the closing of the
wireless network interface of the extender node 120. Therefore, the
sleeping extender node 120 can be awakened by the electronic device
110. For example, the electronic device 110 may monitor whether a
designated sleep time interval for the extender node 120 expires.
In response to the expiration of the specified sleep time interval,
the electronic device 110 may send a wake-up command to the
extender node 120 through the wired link between the extender node
120 and the electronic device 110 to wake up the extender node
120.
[0075] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when
the extender node 120 is connected to the electronic device 110
through a wireless link, the wireless link will be interrupted when
the wireless network interface of the extender node 120 is turned
off. Therefore, the extender node 120 cannot wake up depending on
the electronic device 110, but should wake up autonomously. In this
case, the sleep command sent by the electronic device 110 to the
extender node 120 in step 430 may additionally instruct the
extender node 120 to start the timer while turning off the wireless
network interface. The extender node 120 can autonomously wake up
when the timer expires without receiving a wake-up command from the
electronic device 110.
[0076] According to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the
extender node 120 can be autonomously woken up in response to the
physical operation of the sleeping extender node 120 by the user.
For example, when the user presses any physical button on the
extender node 120, the extender node 120 can be awakened.
Alternatively, when the user unplugs and plugs in the power supply
on the extender node 120, the extender node 120 may be awakened.
This way allows the user to wake up the extender node 120
manually.
[0077] According to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the
electronic device 110 may update the sleep time interval of the
extender node according to the history of manual awakening of the
extender node 120. For example, if the number of times the extender
node 120 is manually woken up in a period of time (e.g., one month
or more) exceeds a specified threshold, the electronic device 110
may consider that the original sleep time interval does not conform
to the user's usage habits. Accordingly, the electronic device 110
can update the sleep time interval of the extender node 120. For
example, the electronic device 110 may modify the expiration time
of the sleep time interval to a time point associated with the time
point when the user manually wakes up the extender node 120.
[0078] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, waking
up the extender node 120 may include powering on the wireless
network interface of the extender node 120 again. It may take a
certain time for the wireless network interface to power on, during
which the extender node 120 may be in a transitional state from the
sleep state to the normal state. The wireless network interface
after being re-powered allows the extender node 120 to re-establish
or restore the wireless link with other devices (e.g., the
electronic device 110 or the client 130). Accordingly, the extender
node 120 can operate as a wireless access point again.
[0079] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure,
waking-up of the extender node 120 may further include restoring
the wireless link between the extender node 120 and the electronic
device 110. Before the wireless network interface of the extender
node 120 is powered off, the extender node 120 may save wireless
link information associated with the wireless link between the
extender node 120 and the electronic device 110. In the wake-up
process, the extender node 120 may try to restore the wireless link
based on the saved wireless link information. In this way, the
original wireless link between the extender node 120 and the
electronic device 110 can be quickly restored without going through
a complicated process of establishing a new wireless link.
[0080] According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, the
main access point in the wireless communication network can be
utilized to monitor the status of each extender node and instruct
the extender node to power off its wireless network interface when
the sleep condition is satisfied, thereby reducing the power
consumption of the extender node. A sleeping extender node may be
woken up in response to a wake-up condition. Sleep and wake-up of
extender nodes can be automatically performed without being
perceived by users, so it will not significantly affect the
performance of the network.
[0081] The present disclosure may be implemented as any combination
of devices, systems, integrated circuits, and computer programs on
non-transitory computer-readable media. One or a plurality of
processors may be implemented as an integrated circuit (IC), an
application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a large-scale
integrated circuit (LSI), a system LSI, a super LSI, or an ultra
LSI component that performs some or all of the functions described
in the present disclosure.
[0082] The present disclosure includes the use of software,
applications, computer programs, or algorithms. Software,
application programs, computer programs or algorithms can be stored
on a non-transitory computer readable medium, so that a computer
with one or a plurality of processors can execute said steps and
the steps described in the drawings. For example, one or a
plurality of memories store software or algorithms in executable
instructions, and one or a plurality of processors associate a set
of instructions for executing the software or algorithms to provide
reliable management of gateways in an MSO network according to
embodiments described in the present disclosure.
[0083] Software and computer programs (also called programs,
software applications, applications, components, or codes) include
machine instructions for programmable processors, and may be
realized in high-level procedural languages, object-oriented
programming languages, functional programming languages, logic
programming languages, or assembly languages or machine languages.
The term "computer-readable medium" refers to any computer program
product, device or apparatus used to be executed on hardware to
provide machine instructions or data to a programmable data
processor, such as magnetic disks, optical disks, solid-state
storage devices, memories, and programmable logic devices (PLDs),
including computer-readable media that receive machine instructions
as computer-readable signals.
[0084] For example, the computer-readable medium may include the
dynamic random access memory (DRAM), random access memory (RAM),
read only memory (ROM), electrically erasable read only memory
(EEPROM), compact disk read only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical
disk storage devices, magnetic disk storage devices or other
magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to
carry or store the required computer-readable program codes in the
form of instructions or data structures and can be accessed by a
general or special computer or a general or special processor. As
used herein, magnetic disks or disks include compact discs (CDs),
laser disks, optical disks, digital versatile discs (DVDs), floppy
disks, and Blu-ray disks, wherein magnetic disks usually copy data
magnetically, and disks copy data optically via laser. Combinations
of the above are also included in the scope of computer-readable
media.
[0085] In one or a plurality of embodiments, the use of the words
"able", "can", "operable as" or "configured as" refers to some
devices, logics, hardware and/or components designed to be used in
a specified manner. The subject matter of the present disclosure is
provided as an example of the apparatus, system, method, and
program for performing the features described in the present
disclosure. However, in addition to the aforementioned features,
other features or modifications can be expected. It can be expected
that any emerging technology that may replace any of the
aforementioned implementation technologies may be used to complete
the implementation of the components and functions of the present
disclosure.
[0086] In addition, the above description provides examples without
limiting the scope, applicability, or configuration set forth in
the claims. Without departing from the spirit and scope of the
present disclosure, changes may be made to the functions and
layouts of the discussed components. Various embodiments may omit,
substitute, or add various processes or components as appropriate.
For example, features described with respect to some embodiments
may be combined in other embodiments.
[0087] Similarly, although operations are depicted in a specific
order in the Attached Drawings, this should not be understood as a
requirement that such operations should be executed in the specific
order shown or in the sequential order, or that all illustrated
operations be executed to achieve the desired result. In some
cases, multi-tasking and parallel processing can be
advantageous.
* * * * *